Postgraduate studies - Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics

Introduction to General Pharmacology (6 hours)

OBJECTIVES: At the end of the course, the candidate should be able to describe how drugs act on the body and how the body deals with the drugs.

• Introduction to pharmacology
• Pharmacodynamics
• Pharmacokinetics

Introduction of Autonomic Nervous System pharmacology view (6 hours)

OBJECTIVES: At the end of the course the postgraduate student should be able to describe the effect of drugs on adrenergic and cholinergic nervous system and application of such effect in therapeutics.

• Introduction to Autonomic Nervous System
• Drugs acting as cholinomimetic Agonists
• Anti-cholinergic drugs
• Drugs acting as adrenergic Agonists
• Anti-adrenergic drugs
• Muscle Relaxants

Drugs Acting on Cardiovascular system (12 hours)

OBJECTIVES: At the end of the course the postgraduate student should be able to identify the drugs which act on different cardiovascular diseases, their mechanism of action, adverse effects, and their indication.

• Drugs for hypertension treatment
• Drugs for cardiac Arrhythmia treatment
• Drugs for cardiac Failure treatment
• Drugs for ischemic Heart Diseases treatment
• Diuretic drugs
• Antihyperlipidemic drugs

Drugs acting on smooth muscles (7 hours)

OBJECTIVES: At the end of the course the postgraduate student should be able to describe the effect of drugs on smooth muscles on different organs.

• Drugs act as antihistamine drugs
• Serotonin & antiserotonin drugs
• Prostaglandins and its analog
• Drugs acting anti asthmatic

Drugs acting on Central nervous system (I) (10 hours)

OBJECTIVES: At the end of the course the student should be able to identify the drugs which act on CNS in relation with pathophysiology of certain psychiatric diseases.

• Drugs acting as Narcotic analgesics
• Antidepressants drugs
• Sedative & hypnotic drugs
• C.N.S. stimulants drugs
• Alcohol

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (4 hours)

OBJECTIVES: At the end of the course the student should be able to identify the drugs which has anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, and analgesic effects also drugs beneficial effects in gout.

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• Drugs used in gout treatment

Drugs Affecting Endocrine System and its Diseases (14 hours)

OBJECTIVES: At the end of this course, the postgraduate student is able to understand pathophysiology of different gland and clinical uses of drugs and hormone preparations affecting such glands.

• Pharmacology of pituitary and hypothalamic hormones
• Thyroid hormones and antithyroid drugs
• Estrogen, progesterone and inhibitors
• Oral contraceptives & HRT
• Androgen
• Drugs for diabetes mellitus: Insulin and oral antidiabetic agents
• Adrenocorticosteroids [Corticosteroids and their antagonists]
• Parathyroid hormones and drugs affecting calcium balance
• Drugs acting on uterus
• Drug treatment for infertility and erectile dysfunctions

Pharmacology of Chemotherapeutic Agents (18 hours)

OBJECTIVES: At the end of this course, the postgraduate student should be able to recognize and understand the different types of targets for chemotherapeutic drugs, and how these mechanisms relate to selective toxicity as well as mechanisms of resistance to the action of antibiotics and strategies to avoid them.

• Introduction and basic principles of chemotherapy
• Sulfonamides
• Quinolones
• β-Lactam antibiotics
• Aminoglycosides
• Macrolides and ketolides
• Tetracycline and chloramphenicol
• Immunomodulators
• Antimycobacterial drugs, Antifungal drugs
• Anti amoebic and other antiprotozoal drugs
• Anthelmintic agents
• Antiviral, anti-AIDS drugs
• Chemotherapy of Urinary tract infection & STDs
• Basic principles of cancer chemotherapy

Drugs acting on Central nervous system (II) (10 hours)

OBJECTIVES: At the end of the course the postgraduate student should be able to identify the drugs which act on C.N.S in relation with pathophysiology of certain psychiatric and neurological diseases. Also, to understand mechanisms of action of local and general anesthesia.

• Antipsychotics
• Anti-parkinson drugs
• Anti-epileptics
• Local anesthetics
• General anesthetics

Drugs affecting haemopoietic system (3 hours)

OBJECTIVES: At the end of the course the postgraduate student should be able to identify the drugs which has Antiplatelet, thrombolytic, and anticoagulant effects also drugs beneficial effects in treatment of anemia.

• Drugs for anemia
• Antiplatelet, thrombolytic, and anticoagulant drugs

Medical Toxicology

Clinical toxicology: Introduction - Toxic effects of paracetamol - Digoxin toxicity - Amphetamine toxicity - Alcohol toxicity - Toxic effect on CNS - Toxic effect on Blood - Toxic effect on haemopoietic system - Toxic effect on reproductive system - Toxic effect on immune system - Toxic effect on renal system - Toxic effect on skin.

Selective Pharmacology

OBJECTIVES: At the end of the course the postgraduate student should be able to present comprehensive lectures on some important subject not covered during the course of advanced pharmacology.

• Drugs used in treatment of obesity
• Drugs used in skin diseases
• Drugs used in pediatrics
• Herbal Medicine
• Drugs used in elderly
• Drugs used in pregnancy
• Protein and second messenger